Greater cooperation among all stakeholders was needed for an open and comprehensive intergovernmental preparatory process to the Habitat III Conference, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today as it took up its agenda item on the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
In the wake of allegations of corruption against a previous President of the General Assembly, representatives of the 193-member body today debated the function of and the selection to the United Nations highest leadership positions.
Concerned about the possibility of outer space becoming “an arena for military confrontation”, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved a draft resolution, one of two on the topic, asking the General Assembly to urge an early commencement of substantive work to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space.
States had the obligation to cooperate with each other and with international organizations in protecting the atmosphere, delegations and legal advisors heard today as the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its debate on the International Law Commission’s report.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a draft resolution that aimed to improve the quality of conference services held in its offices around the globe while upholding the equal use of its six official languages in the written world of documents and publications as well as crucial interpretation and translation services.
The Secretary-General, urging the General Assembly to draw larger lessons from the allegations against John Ashe, President of its sixty-eighth session, described a number of specific steps, including an internal audit and establishment of an internal task force, to address, head-on, the important issues being raised.
Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the General Assembly on the revitalization of its work, in New York today:
The following statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was issued today:
The new Permanent Observer of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the United Nations, Oscar R. de Rojas, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.
The new Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, João Vale de Almeida, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.
